Big Sam Allardyce planning to upset Rafa Benitez yet again

SAM ALLARDYCE and Rafa Benitez are not exactly the best of friends – and this is no mind game.

Sam Allardyce barks instructions at his team during their defeat at Old Trafford []

According to West Ham manager Allardyce, it was never hate at first sight, however. Instead it has been an enmity that grew and grew each time one of his own teams bloodied the noses, metaphorically, and in the case of Sami Hyypia, literally, of Benitez’s side.

In other words – and Allardyce was quite careful not to say anything quite so blunt and incendiary ahead of their latest meeting as Chelsea visit Upton Park today – he puts it all down to Benitez being a sore loser.

In August 2004, the Spaniard had eased into life in the Premier League with Liverpool with a point at Tottenham and a debut home win against Manchester City. Next stop the Reebok. In the opening exchanges, Hyypia was elbowed. Then Bolton’s talisman, Kevin Davies, scored the only goal after 38 minutes. One-nil to Allardyce.

“It wouldn’t have been hate at first sight because he didn’t know me and I only knew what he’d done at Valencia,” recalled Allardyce yesterday. “I suppose what he didn’t like was getting beaten.

I suppose what he didn’t like was getting beaten

Sam Allardyce

“It’s always been the way, but as far as I’m concerned, this is the top level so you can pit your wits against every manager. Every manager is different and you’ll weigh up the tactics they like to play and get yours ready. If you get it right you can upset the big boys, like Liverpool were at the time. And we managed to upset them.”

Upset them and then some. A further draw and defeat was all that Liverpool could manage at the Reebok before Allardyce left Bolton for pastures new. Benitez did have the satisfaction of a 3-0 win at St James’ Park against Allardyce when he was at Newcastle but the normal bruising soap opera resumed when Big Sam made his Rovers return to Lancashire.

Blackburn were another side styled in his uncompromising image and when the pair met again at Anfield, Allardyce took umbrage at a perceived “game over” gesture made by Benitez when Liverpool went 2-0 up at Anfield.

Inevitably, Sir Alex Ferguson joined the row on Allardyce’s side, leading to accusations Benitez was being picked on by the Premier League bully boys.

So before returning to Ewood Park the following February, Benitez tried to enlist some support of his own.

“He even went as far as putting a DVD together and sending it to former referees’ chief Keith Hackett,” Allardyce claimed ahead of that next encounter. “He doesn’t know I know that, but I do. I got on to Keith and told him I didn’t want it to influence what refs do because it is all a load of rubbish. He had a bee in his bonnet for a while.”

Certainly there was a buzz after that game, even though Liverpool had won.

“I am sure their football is a model for kids all around the world and Barcelona are thinking about copying their style,” Benitez smirked sarcastically.

But back to today. Allardyce said: “ Chelsea are coming as a fantastic football side that won the FA Cup and the Champions League, so I’m more concerned about the players they’re going to pick, how they’re going to set up and how my team are going to cope with that, rather than what Rafa’s going to say about me. I am bigger than that, I don’t want a tit for tat.”